The Chinese military said Tuesday it had launched joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan as a “stern warning,” days after US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter “China’s aggression” on his first visit to Asia.

China has conducted military drills around Taiwan for a second day focusing on the Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from China that is a crucial conduit for international trade.

China's military conducted a live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait to simulate strikes on key ports and energy facilities, it said on Wednesday. The exercise, codenamed "Strait Thunder", is an escalation of military drills China held on Tuesday around Taiwan,

China's military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday ahead of an announcement of sweeping import tariffs by the United States that the island is an "indispensable" member of the global supply chain and it would defend its companies' interests.

U.S. partnership is a driver of shared economic prosperity and central to supply chain security and stability in the region, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan said on Thursday after U.S. tariffs were announced.

The barges, which link up to form a bridge, could give China a way to land large numbers of vehicles and troops on Taiwan, solving a major logistical problem.

Taiwan's defence ministry on Thursday detailed a surge in Chinese military activity as Beijing wrapped up a second day of war games overnight Wednesday, saying it had detected 59 warplanes and 23 navy ships operating around the island.